AG-06-9-Future Of Agriculture In Colorado

WHEREAS agriculture has always been one of the cornerstones of Colorado’s economy; and WHEREAS Colorado is a statutory Right to Farm state; and WHEREAS agriculture also serves the increasingly important function of providing essential wildlife habitat and scenic vistas for all Coloradans to enjoy; and WHEREAS the agriculture industry is only marginally profitable due to competitive markets (both domestic and international), weather patterns, and many other factors out of the control of individual ag producers; and WHEREAS, as a result of Colorado’s growing population and the resulting escalation of speculative land values, an increasing number of agriculture producers have opted to sell their productive lands to be converted to residential and commercial development, to the point where Colorado is now losing to development thousands of acres of productive farmland every year; and WHEREAS a study conducted by the Colorado Farm Bureau identifies these and other challenges facing ag producers and draws into question the future viability of this important industry; and WHEREAS the average age of current producers is 55 plus years and barriers to entry for youth continue to increase; and WHEREAS more local, state, and federal laws and regulations are infringing upon property rights and are creating takings of those property rights; and WHEREAS there is a  growing uncertainty of access to public lands for agriculture use; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CLUB 20 urges the creation of a task force to assess the future of agriculture in Colorado and make appropriate recommendations as to what the state of Colorado can do to ensure a viable future for this important industry. Adopted 9/8/06

Amended September 7, 2012

Amended April 12, 2019

Resolution in PDF Format